This fleet of classic Corvettes is set to be restored after spending more than two decades in storage.

They’re the Corvettes that time forgot. And 25 years ago, they were the ultimate prize in one of the most outlandish sweepstakes ever.

A rare armada of 36 Chevrolet Corvettes - one from every model year, starting from the Vette's introduction in 1953 and running through 1989 - has once again seen the light of day. The incredible fleet, which originally cost cable music network VH1 $610,000 in 1989 for a sweepstakes, has sat nearly abandoned in a New York City storage lot for about 25 years, reports Hemmings.

Originally won by Long Island carpenter Dennis Amodeo in 1990, the cars were quickly bought up by artist Peter Max, with the goal to translate the collection into rolling artwork. Depsite his ambitious art project never quite shifting into high gear - or getting out of neutral, for that matter - Max still spent the time and money over the next quarter century to keep this amazing Corvette collection tucked away in storage throughout New York City.

They haven't covered many miles, but the years haven't exactly been kind to every car in the collection. With this amount of vehicles, it was sometimes necessary to move them from one storage space to another. And as many car collectors will tell you, sitting mostly dormant and collectng decades’ worth of dust don't do any favors for a vehicle's cosmetic or mechanical condition. Flat tires, worn out trim, and engines needing a total overhaul are some of the problems that will have to be dealt with during restoration.

The collection includes every model from the 1953 Corvette, pictured here, through the 1989 model year.

(Richard Prince)

Some models simply don't make a lot of fiscal sense when it comes to a complete overhaul, too. The 1974 and ’84 models, for example, now require more in repair and restoration work than they’re currently worth.

The Corvettes were originally given away by music network VH1 as part of a promotion. They have since changed hands twice.

(Richard Prince)

Even when they were part of the sweepstakes, the cars were generally in 'driving condition,' versus perfect show-quality examples. None had exceedingly rare engines or trim codes, and many of them were fitted with the less desirable option of an automatic transmission. Still, Corvette collector and Dream Car Consulting founder Chris Mazzilli estimates that some are just diamonds in the dust in need of only a bit of restoration to be show ready. The early examples, particularly the 1953 model year, should have no trouble sparking the interest of Corvette afficianadoes.

When it came time for Max to move the vehicles to yet another new storage space, the opportunity to sell the entire fleet came about. The collection's new owner, Peter Heller, reportedly plans to restore the vehicles and put them up for sale as one single and complete collection.

If the popularity of last year’s Lambrecht Chevrolet auction—in which more than 500 rare Chevrolets that had been similarly held in storage for decades—is anything to go by, this Corvette collection is not likely to be forgotten again. The next lucky owner had better clear some garage space, however, if the claim is true that the collection will be kept intact.